The burning of fossil fuels, chiefly coal, gas and oil is largely responsible for climate change. Burning these fossil energy reserves releases C02 into the atmosphere. This greenhouse gas traps more of the suns solar radiation within the earths atmosphere and causes the earths temperature to rise. We can see from many studies that the earths temperature over millions of years has been very closely linked to the amount of C02 in the atmosphere. In the geological past volcanoes have been responsible for much of the C02. Over the last 1000 years man has added to this by his agricultural practices, deforestation and burning fossil fuels.